The Postal Service lumbers on. Covid-19 continues to batter the workforce. According to some politicians, their finances are shaky. That discussion is playing out in the news. The recently installed Postmaster General is off to a bumpy start, also in the news. And the elephant in the room is Election 2020 vote by mail.
The Postal Service lumbers on. “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” carved in stone at the New York City Post Office on 8th Avenue. While not the official motto, it is their credo.
Meanwhile, Amazon is zipping along. They’re digging a massive hole in the ground across the street from my office. The builder is putting in the foundation for “Amazon’s HQ2,” just outside of Washington, D.C.
This afternoon, I sent off an Amazon return. The most convenient drop-off was at the local UPS office, one of their designated partners for returns processing. According to the Amazon website, if I accepted a credit directly to my Amazon account, I could expect a refund within two to four hours. I made the drop-off at around 1:30 pm. By 3:00 pm, I had an email notification that the refund had been issued to my Amazon account. Amazon integrated and synchronized their supply chain and financial processes.
Congress and the Postal Service need to wake up and smell the roses. The USPS is a business, the taxpayers own it, and we entrust the politicians to deliver guidance and support to achieve the mission.
The USPS needs help, not just a bailout.
